When was the moment you realised Covid was serious?

[Coppertop15]

I like the KN94s better because apparently I have a ginormous melon head. I've broken so many N95s.

 

[mewmew]

So, I think I have a unique COVID perspective. I was institutionalized from October 2019 til February 2021, in a facility with no TV, no news, and very limited contact with the “outside” world. My sister had written me a letter about COVID in late 2019, and I was allowed to read it because it wasn’t a “thing” at the time. Beginning in early 2020, all letters I received were heavily edited by those who reviewed them before they came to me. I knew very little about what was happening.

The moment I knew COVID was a big deal was when the institution announced we would no longer receive visits from our families. It was devastating. We went several months without contact with the outside world, no news, and extremely limited information.

Leaving there in March 2021 and coming into the new “COVID world” of masks and social distancing was like entering a parallel universe.

 

[perfectingpink]

I knew Covid was a problem early on (but not the very beginning) and had it's reality driven into my soul listening to my niece's experiences intubating patients, having to pronounce patients dead, then break the horrible news to the people who loved them, and seeing the sorrow, yet resolve, to keep going. And when my stoic father and sister had intense emotion in their eyes and voices when they spoke about this wretched virus, I was knew life had taken a sharp turn. As of right now, I absolutely appreciate it's reality because I see the marks on all of their faces from hours upon hours upon hours of constant face mask use just to keep others safe.

 

[ZaZara]

When I wrote this in August of last year, my BF had been ill with COVID since the day befor Christmas 2020.
As of today, he still is ill with COVID.

He has been in isolation for 20 months now. The virus has mutated twice in his body, and he is extremely dangerous for others because no one has antibodies for these mutations, they are new and unique. He has been vaccinated, the vaccinations stopped the repeated outbursts of the virus at last. He now takes part in a pilot project for new medicines.

I have only seen him from afar, waving behind a window. I know I dodged a bullet, because we had planned to spend Christmas together, and he called it off.

I've been fully vaccinated and will be getting a booster soon. I still stay away from crowds. The virus can hide in someone's body and stay dormant for a long time, that does not mean it isn't there and infection can still spread.

Thanks to the pilot project and the experimental medications, the BF has been declared 'clean' and his isolation has oficially ended.

He was dangerously ill with COVID and an extreme danger to others for 659 days.

 

[badgersmythe]

Thanks to the pilot project and the experimental medications, the BF has been declared 'clean' and his isolation has oficially ended.

He was dangerously ill with COVID and an extreme danger to others for 659 days.

That’s great news. How is his health now? Will he have to be careful to avoid Covid in the future? I hope he is enjoying getting back to some sort of normality.

 

[ZaZara]

That’s great news. How is his health now? Will he have to be careful to avoid Covid in the future? I hope he is enjoying getting back to some sort of normality.

Thank you for your kind words. The future is totally unclear. The virus is gone, but the damage done is yet to be assessed (heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, etc). He lost his sense of smell and taste right at the beginning, and it hasn't come back. No one knows if it ever will, we can only keep our fingers crossed.
The pilot project he took part in was tough and he is very tired.

I understood that he is well protected against COVID in the future, thanks to MRNA vaccinations and the new medication from the pilot project. I don't know how they did it, or how it works, but next to improving and reinforcing the immune system, the new (experimental) medication causes COVID virus particles to damage themselves.

 

[caradana]

January 23, 2020. Woke up at the W New York downtown, early, and was listening to a work-related security call for a global company. The Hong Kong business resiliency team talked about what was happening in Wuhan. I remember thinking there is absolutely no way to stop this from getting out and going global. Started waiting. Stocked up my house. Made a four-cart trip to the supermarket on March 6, 2020 and didn’t leave my house again until July 2020. That W is gone now - didn’t economically survive the pandemic.

 

[ColyH]

I knew it was serious when my supervisor called me and told me that the town was shutting down all transportation services for the town.

 

[meanmaryjean]

I was the director of a nursing program when Covid broke. I knew it was serious when students were banned from certain patients to save on PPE, then days later banned from certain floors, then a week later all students were banned from entering the hospital period.

 

[anneg]

Thank you for your kind words. The future is totally unclear. The virus is gone, but the damage done is yet to be assessed (heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, etc). He lost his sense of smell and taste right at the beginning, and it hasn't come back. No one knows if it ever will, we can only keep our fingers crossed.
The pilot project he took part in was tough and he is very tired.

I understood that he is well protected against COVID in the future, thanks to MRNA vaccinations and the new medication from the pilot project. I don't know how they did it, or how it works, but next to improving and reinforcing the immune system, the new (experimental) medication causes COVID virus particles to damage themselves.

What a terrible experience! At least he is finally clear of the virus. I hope his senses of smell and taste return, and the other damage is not serious.

This article discusses loss of smell and taste due to Covid, if you can access it: https://cen.acs.org/biological-chemistry/chemical-communication/COVID-19-stole-sense-smell/100/i34

Years ago I knew a woman who'd lost her sense of taste and smell as a result of cancer surgery. She had to force herself to eat, because there was nothing pleasant associated with food. Very sad. I've had temporary loss of smell and taste as a result of several viral infections in the past (not Covid).